Rainsy takes new role

Rainsy takes new role

The National Assembly yesterday unanimously approved a new law paving the way for Cambodian National Rescue Party president Sam Rainsy to be recognised as a “minority leader ranked as prime minister”.

According to the new rule, minority parties with at least 25 per cent of seats in the assembly must appoint a minority leader, whose duty it is to negotiate with other parties. Parties with fewer seats would need to select another party to represent them.

The new law is the result of an agreement last month that also saw a long-awaited analogue television channel pledged to the CNRP, which, in turn, dropped a demand that citizens with multiple nationalities be allowed to sit on a revamped National Election Committee.

Rainsy said the new law would mean he could be a “political dialogue partner” with Prime Minister Hun Sen, creating a peaceful way to deal with issues such as the arrest of political and land rights activists.

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